NHS maternity care delivered ‘unacceptable’ treatment, report finds

Women across England have received “unacceptable” maternity care leading to tragic outcomes, according to a new national investigation report.

Baroness Valerie Amos, who is leading the national maternity and neonatal (newborn) investigation (NMNI), said changes within services have been too slow despite being necessary and urgent.

The document shares her initial impressions after visiting seven NHS trusts, talking with families and meeting staff.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lady Amos said: “Given that these harms continue to be done, given that babies continue to die, given that this is happening across the country, are there things that we should be doing to standardise the level of care across different trusts? Yes.”

The report reveals the NHS has recorded 748 recommendations relating to maternity and neonatal care in the past decade, a figure Amos described as “staggering”.

Issues raised consistently include women not being listened to, not being given the right information to make informed choices, and discrimination against women of colour, working-class women, younger parents and women with mental health problems.

The investigation also heard of cases where women who had lost babies were placed on wards with newborns, and instances when concerns about reduced foetal movement (the baby’s movements in the womb) were disregarded.

The health secretary, Wes Streeting, who ordered the investigation in June, said Amos’s update “demonstrates that too many families have been let down, with devastating consequences”.

He added: “Bereaved and harmed families have shown extraordinary courage in coming forward to share their experiences.

“What they have described is deeply distressing, and I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for them to relive these moments.”

The NMNI will focus on 12 NHS trusts, with findings due in 2026. Streeting is also establishing a national maternity and neonatal taskforce in the new year.